Keyport community seeks replacement for store, diner that closed

The Keyport Mercantile & Diner, a popular small-town business for many locals since it opened in 2007, recently closed, and the community is trying to come up with solutions to revitalize the building that has seen many iterations since being constructed in 1906.

The mercantile and diner is closed for good due to “economic adversity,” but the new building owner and other community members are trying to find a way to keep the grocery store part of it open, former employee and Keyport resident Makayla Wilson said. The owner, who took over in July of 2023, plans to upgrade the building with a bathroom remodel and repainting inside.

“(The space) has been shown a few times but no one has committed to it,” Wilson said. “The building has sat empty before for long periods of time—hoping it doesn’t happen again.”

Since the business closed, Wilson said the community is understandably sad to not have that community gathering place to connect with each other. Unique features of the building include crooked floors, a sign that says, “There will be a $5 charge for whining,” and a door to the grocery side of the store that is so old that when it slams shut “you could probably hear it from across the bay,” Wilson said.

If the doors do open again, Wilson said a key component to surviving is getting support from people outside the Keyport area. “It is not somewhere people typically drive out of their way to come or even know that a town exists past the (Naval) base,” she said. “The building is literally located on a dead-end street. I hope people can see how unique this building’s history is and make a trip down to us to support whatever small business comes next.”

COVID brought hardships to the mercantile and diner, like many businesses around the world. Navy workers were some of the most-reliable customers so when they started working from home it had a huge impact, Wilson said. “The building has lived many lives,” she said. “It has seen many businesses come and go throughout decades. The owner of the building has a deep appreciation for what the mercantile means to the community and wants to honor that.”